When the weather starts to cool down, I get a craving.  It's wassail time!  It's a tradition in our family to have wassail at Thanksgiving, Christmas and at our annual Gingerbread House party.

I have tried using all kinds of cider and juice.  I've used expensive apple cider and cheap apple juice.  Happily it does not matter what kind you use.  So I usually go cheap and get whatever apple juice is the most affordable.

Save the 3 Q. bottle the juice comes in, it's great for leftovers.  I like to use cheesecloth and a funnel to filter out the excess spices and then store the wassail in the fridge.  I find that if I don't filter it, the leftovers get a bitter taste.  When I filter it and heat it up by the cup, it tastes just like it does on the first day.

Wassail
3 Q. apple juice, any brand
10 oz. cranberry juice
1/4 c. sugar
3/4 tsp. allspice
1-2 cinnamon sticks
1 orange or clementine, peeled
6-7 whole cloves

1. Peel or cut off orange peel and stud with cloves. Add all ingredients to a crock pot.  Heat on high for 1 hour and low for up to 5 hours. Serve after one hour.
2. Filter remaining wassail through a funnel with cheesecloth into original 3 Q. juice bottle.  Reheat one cup at a time.